Shutterstock Photographer Forum :: View topic

joy1975 · Joined: 24 May 2005 Posts: 9

I'm a graphic designer and a shutterstock photographer. .20 is a steal compared to the images I purchase for our brochures at work. The last one i purchased cost about $350.

The selection is larger at other sites, which is why i go to them. But if i am working on a project and i happen to see the exact image i am looking for here, I will definitly use shutterstock.

BTY, as far as what I as a graphic designer look for a lot in my advertising and brochures are "business metaphors" for teamwork, problem solving, communication, strategy, innovation etc. Something to convey an idea. There are several already on shutterstock and they are usually in the top downloads.

I don't have many of those in my online gallery here because I don't have time or a good enough camera to stage a photoshoot such as that. But if one had the resources....

My Gallery
______________________________________________________
http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery.mhtml?id=6015

djarvik · Joined: 10 May 2005 Posts: 52

$0.20 for a front magazine cover?!?!?

people you shouldn't be congratulating the photographer, rather giving your condolences!!!

the photographer should get paid for something like this, no less then $1500.

:)

are you at all aware of the pricing out there??? ...for a front cover magazine with, let's say 50,000 publishing??

Call me crazy, but that upsets me.....

Riger · Joined: 15 Apr 2005 Posts: 524 Location: Dubai

Sorry to go against the grain, but this is what you sign up for...

I accept it, you accept it, we all accept it.

As a begginer (at the age of 40) I accept that there are some of my pictures that could have made the big time if I was with a big agency.

The thing is that I am here (and at 4 other) at a microstock agency. This is my starting point .. I may never move on from here and be happy with a couple of hundred here and a couple of hundred there, I may move on to bigger and better things and be able to market my images at big $$ price tags and get a couple of thousand here and there.

The bottom line is that I and you choose to be here, many here are all too happy to get the limited exposure on occasion others are on a mission.

With specific regards to the picture that Johanna had published, I say a hearty "Well Done",

IMHO anyone that publishes their work here and get's exposure like that must surely be happy !! I would try and get a copy of the mag and keep it as part of my portfolio - If I were so lucky of course.

Well Done again Johanna.

djarvik · Joined: 10 May 2005 Posts: 52

I'm not sure which exposure you talking about???

is she going to get credit on this photo? will her name be on the photo??

:)

thought so

again, if you make it one time like she did, and get paid what you supposed to get paid, 2.5-3k then it worht a couple of years of shooting and uploading photos here, right? :)

Again, I know what I signed up for, not denying that.... but I would sya to her not "Congrats! Way to go!" rather "oh, that's ashame you posted this photo Royalty Free, otherwise you could've made some money" and I would suggest her another agency with much bigger payouts, for the same reson that if it's good enough photo for a magazine cover, she is in the wrong place, and she markets her photos too low....now that's being supportive and friendly....

....

I'm in the same boat with you, I started photography less then 2 years ago.... and that's the main reson for my joining here... :0 ...wonderfull place to LEARN, NOT EARN!!!

What do you think?

Riger · Joined: 15 Apr 2005 Posts: 524 Location: Dubai

Cfan · Joined: 02 May 2005 Posts: 12

Hi Guys,

I earlier asked admin/reviewers if they could let us know if $0.20 was all it took to use photo as mag cover.

Tim's reply was below: -

thatcloudthere · Joined: 23 Oct 2004 Posts: 6

Of course they only paid twenty cents...that's why "microstock" is silly.

Your photos are actually worth something, people!

Oh well...

GeneralE · Posted: Fri May 27, 2005 4:29 pm

djarvik · Joined: 10 May 2005 Posts: 52

dpakoh · Joined: 23 Feb 2005 Posts: 11 Location: Pensacola, FL

Think of it this way. You the artist can hopefully find your images used like this and build it as a portfolio.

If not for shutterstock would your image have been used at all? yes $0.20 is not that much compared to a direct sale to a company for $150-$3000. But perhaps this is the gateway you use. Show a magazine company your photo on the cover of the magazine, and present them with an offer to do stock shots for them. Get direct commissions.

As a downloader, they have every right to use it how they please as long as it doesn't represent getting money back directly from the use of your image (i.e. reselling your image).

But thats what downloading the images are for. Why would someone pay $140 a month to go and download a wallpaper? :-)

This is the business world. Welcome to it. Doesn't always pay well, but thats how it works.

marksimms · Joined: 11 Nov 2004 Posts: 21

Ironically, if she wanted to add this magazine cover to her portfolio, would she have to pay $2 - $3 dollars for the magazine??

dkgilbey · Joined: 08 Jan 2005 Posts: 730 Location: Hampshire - UK

alex · Joined: 21 Jan 2005 Posts: 64 Location: Miami, FL

djarvik · Joined: 10 May 2005 Posts: 52

You cannot use that image in your portfolio.... the magazine will not give you credit. Do you see her name next to the picture?? no!
what you might see is a statment like "Image provided by ShutterStock.com" how is that a credit to a photographer???

...and yes, I would be dissapointed if one of my pictures will end up on the cover.... I really will.... I do not post to stock sites my best work, only "second inventory" therefor I do not expect that to happen :) but if it will, I would be dissapointed for posting it here and not somewhere else.

Jenny · Posted: Tue May 31, 2005 1:27 pm

I've been reading all your comments - all very interesting.

Soon I'm going to have one of my images put on a front cover of a book. Ok, so I'll get paid slightly more than $0.20 for it, but the principle is the same.

When I signed up here, and other microsites, I knew full well what I'd be paid for each image. And yes, if I were to sell my images to other companies I could well earn $$$ - but, hey - I chose to do this instead.

I see it as publicity. I'll get a copy of the front cover (book), I'll put it in my website, and if I ever go off to interviews, it's evidence of my work.

Photography is not my full time job, like many who post images on these sites. If it was, firstly I would be disappinted, but more importantly, I wouldn't be putting images on microsites - I'd be looking for places that offer BIG BUCKS.

At this moment in time, I'm thrilled to have my work recognised in the 'big wide world'. I'd glad that people out there think it's worthy of using on a book, and I can't wait to get my website sorted, and paste it up for all to see.

For the majority of the time, you'll never know who buys your photos, and what they'll use it for....and suddenly, you get lucky!

Jenny